Executive Summary
Normally, the completion of a course will include a final examination; however, it is the instructor’s prerogative not to have an examination if the course organization is such that an examination is not appropriate. The official examination schedule will be published by the University Registrar each semester.
I. Policy
The Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina has enacted regulations (UNC Policy Manual, Section 400.1.6) for the minimum number of class days per semester and academic year. All UNC campuses must ensure that every course offered for academic credit adheres to the standard minimum requirements of instructional time for the semester and academic year, and the final exam period is counted toward these minimums. The normal expectation is that the completion of a course will include a final examination; however, it is the instructor’s prerogative not to have an examination if the course organization is such that an examination is not appropriate.
II. Procedures and Regulations
- The University Registrar will publish the official final examination schedule each semester.
- If an examination is given, the responsibility for administering it at the assigned period rests with the course instructor.
- A departure from the published schedule may be made at the request of the instructor provided it meets with the consent of every student in the class and does not cause any additional exam conflicts for the students. Requests for any changes to the published final exam schedule must be communicated to the Office of the Registrar as soon as possible and no later than two weeks prior to the scheduled exam. Final exams are not allowed to be scheduled on Reading Day.
- It is the policy of UNC Charlotte that students having three examinations on the same day should be allowed to reschedule the middle examination. Students with two examinations scheduled at the same time on the same day should be allowed to reschedule one of the examinations by completing the Final Examination Conflict Form.
- In the event of a scheduling conflict between a common final exam and a non-common final exam, the common exam as indicated on the Final Examination Schedule takes precedence. Common exams are standardized assessments administered to all students enrolled in a particular course, typically across multiple sections, at the same time on the days designated for common final exams. These exams—most often used in subjects like math and statistics—ensure consistency in content coverage and grading.
- Whenever possible, final course grades should be submitted within three days of the officially scheduled final exam day. The ultimate deadline for submitting semester grades is published in the academic calendar and shall be no fewer than two days after the last day of finals. If course grades are not received in time for processing, a temporary administrative symbol of NG will be assigned.
Related Resources
Authority
Policy Revisions
Updated August 21, 2025
- Clarifying scheduling conflicts with common final exams
Revised July 10, 2012
University Policy 202, Final Examinations, has been updated to reflect current practice. University Policy 202 was initially revised in May 2007 due to changes made in the course schedule and class meeting times. After the policy change, there remained significant confusion surrounding final examination schedules. As a result, in Spring 2009 the Office of the Registrar worked with members of the faculty to develop recommendations to resolve the issues related to the final exam schedule. The resulting recommendation, endorsed by the Associate Deans Council, removed the need for department chairs and associate deans to be involved in the process of changing final exam times. This became the “practice” beginning in Fall 2009 and has worked smoothly since then. In addition, an electronic Final Examination Conflict form has eliminated the need for students to obtain the form from the Office of Registrar in person. Finally, the changes also include reference to the related Academic Calendar policy and the Faculty Council’s recent motion that no activities be required on Reading Day.
Revised May 23, 2007
University Policy 202 has been revised to account for the fact that all grades are now submitted electronically so there is more flexibility in when the grades are due.
Revised March 10, 1997
This university policy has been revised to correct a typographical error by adding the missing word "out" after the word "filling" in subsection 4.